Keeping Secrets
by Pretty Phenomenal
Summary: Sequel to "Country Mouse, City Mouse" Ravyn and Jeff are helping each other keep secrets from their significant others... (OC/Shannon Moore, OC/Jeff Hardy)
1. Chapter 1

**"Keeping Secrets" is the sequel to "Country Mouse, City Mouse." If you haven't given that one a read he, please do!**

 **-**

Chapter 1

Just over a year had passed since Ravyn moved back to North Carolina. She had sold her mother's house and moved in with her boyfriend Shannon. They had been together for almost an entire year. Her best friend, Jenn, was still dating Shannon's best friend Jeff. Whom had made a full recovery after flipping his car the year before. He spent quite a bit of time in rehab, but was now completely sober. The two couples spent a lot of time together since both Ravyn and Jeff's older brothers were always traveling. Ravyn worked part time at Shannon's tattoo shop, Gas Chamber Ink, but also did some writing for newspapers and magazines.

"Princess," Chad called from his work station. "Do we have anything else on the books tonight?"  
Ravyn checked, "Nope."  
"Then I'm going home," he said smugly.  
She laughed, "Go for it. I'm sure we can handle closing up. Though it will be ever so hard without you!" He laughed at her joke and walked out of the shop. She filed a few more sketches while Shannon finished working on a clients drawing.  
"You two are ridiculous," he laughed.  
She walked over to him and sat down on his desk. "You know we're the entertainment around here," she smiled. "You wouldn't have it any other way." She leaned down and kissed him. He chuckled and shook his head at her silliness.  
"What do you say to closing up early, City Mouse?" he winked.  
"I'm for it, Country Mouse," she grinned. "Maybe swing by the house for a bit? Then meet up with Jenn and Jeff?"  
He smiled, "Or go home.. And eventually call them to come over."

He reached up to put his hand behind her neck, gently bringing her head down to his level to kiss her, gently biting her lip. "Can we go... now?" she hinted. He stood up and dangled her car keys from his finger. She snatched them from him and kissed him again, smiling. They made sure the shop was locked up and headed back to their house.

*****

Jenn and Jeff arrived at Shannon's a few hours later. The four of them sat around in the hot tub laughing. They hung out as a group at least three times a week. Usually it was just to watch movies or hang out by the pool.  
"Matt invited us to go see him at Summer Slam next month," Jeff informed them. "Shane will be on the card too."  
"Where is it this year?" Shannon questioned.  
Jeff smirked, "Madison Square Garden."  
"Oh," Ravyn lit up. "We're definitely going!" Her friends laughed at her enthusiasm. "I'll finally get you guys on my turf!"  
"I've never been to New York," Jenn was clearly excited.  
Ravyn smiled at her friend, "We're going to have so much fun! I can't wait to take you guys to Coney Island!"  
Jeff started laughing, "You and Shannon can join the Freak Show!"  
"Look who's talking, Jeffro!" Ravyn splashed him.

Moments later an all out splash fight began. Jeff tried escaping by leaping from the hot tub into the pool. Everyone soon followed him. They used pool floats as shields, but it made no difference really. They were all still soaking wet. Jeff and Ravyn's competitive spirits kept them battling long after Jenn and Shannon retreated to the house. They were still ducking and dodging each others splashes when they realized how dark it had gotten. And that they had been left. Jeff noticed first, looking around the pool in the darkness for Jenn. Ravyn splashed at him, then looked around for Shannon and laughed.

"We've been ditched, Hardy!" she snickered.  
He smiled smugly, "Yep, they know when they can't compete."  
"Ha!" she splashed him again. "Get over yourself!" She got out of the pool and headed inside before he could get in the last splash. She heard Jenn and Shannon talking in the livingroom. She smirked as she walked in and flopped onto the couch, exhausted. Jeff shuffled in from the patio and deposited himself in the recliner with a thud.  
He glanced at Shannon, "Your woman doesn't play fair."  
"You're just salty because you were out matched," Ravyn yawned.  
"You wish!" he flung a pillow at her.  
She rolled out of the way and the pillow fell to the floor. "It's pretty obvious that you can't show me up Nero."  
"If I were less tired.. I'd swanton bomb the shit out of you right now," he huffed.

Ravyn burst into giggles at the thought of Jeff trying a swanton in her livingroom. Shannon and Jenn watched them in a stunned silence. They didn't know what to make of the situation. Ravyn and Jeff had grown closer since Jeff's accident. But they weren't best pals, which was why Jenn and Shannon were so confused by their sudden bond over the past weeks.

"Were you guys out there drinking the Kool-Aid?" Shannon asked.  
Ravyn smiled at him, "Nah, just putting your friend in his place."  
Jeff threw his hands in the air in mock frustration, "Babe, we need to get out of this place! It's full of crazy people!"  
Jenn just laughed at him, "Like our place is any less crazy."  
"I didn't say it this time," Ravyn snickered.  
Jeff stood up, pretending to be angry. "I'm outta here!" he waved his arms dramatically. "You're the only one left on my side, Punk!" Shannon shrugged his shoulders and went back to eating his bowl of cereal, trying not to laugh. "No for real though. I'll call you tomorrow." Jenn and Jeff finished saying goodbye and headed home.

*****

Jenn called Ravyn at noon the next day. She promised her that she had exciting news and asked to meet her at the ice cream shop by the Gas Chamber so she could tell her all about it. Both girls were only five minutes away so they headed directly there. They pulled into the lot right behind each other and parked. Jenn got out of her car squealing.  
"I got it! I got it! I got it!" she jumped up and down.  
Ravyn jumped up and down for a moment too, getting lost in the excitement. "Wait.. Got what?" she asked.  
"That photography job I've been waiting for!" she exclaimed. "The one with TRAVEL magazine!"  
"Jenn that's awesome!" Ravyn smiled excitedly. "When do you start?"  
"Whenever I can! It'll mostly be an editing job at the offices in Raleigh," she explained. "But they'll also be paying for me to randomly go shoot places. Some for a day or two at a time!"  
Ravyn ran over and hugged her friend, "I'm so happy for you! You're going to have such a good time!" The girls ordered ice cream and sat together for an hour talking about all the cool places Jenn was going to see. They were so excited that they barely took breaths between sentences. Finally they headed home with plans to meet up the next day. Ravyn couldn't wait to get home and tell Shannon Jenn's good news.


	2. Chapter 2

"Babe, I'm going to the gym," Shannon rolled over and kissed her forehead. "Do you want to come?"  
She yawned, " Yeah, just give me a minute to wake up." Ravyn rolled over onto her back stretching.  
He smiled, admiring her as she tried to wake up. "I'm really happy that you and Jeff are friends now," he pushed a lock of blue hair out of her face.  
"Me too," she concurred, pulling him down to kiss her.  
"Believe me," he started. "I would love to stay right here with you all day. But I really need to get to the gym. I'm fully booked at the shop today."  
She frowned at him playfully, "Alright alright. I'm going." She dragged herself from the bed and walked into their closet to find her gym clothes.

When she emerged she quickly got changed and they headed to the gym in Vass. She enjoyed watching Shannon work out almost as much as she enjoyed watching him wrestle. Over the last year she had discovered a passion for the business. She loved how a good match could tell a great story. How the crowd would rally behind a wrestler just because the other guy was cheating. It was amazing what could be said in the ring with no words at all. She loved it. What had made no sense to her a year earlier was now one of her favorite things. She told herself that someday she would learn. But she wasn't sure that Shannon would approve, so she never mentioned it to him.  
She finished her last mile on the treadmill and watched Shannon finish his routine. He shot her a wink through the mirror as he set down his barbell for the last time. "You ready for me to take you home?"  
A smirk crawled across her face, "You know it." He grinned and picked up his keys from the floor. He found time to meet her in the shower before leaving to go to the tattoo shop.

*****

She had been sitting around the house, bored, for the last three hours. She had called Jenn, but her friend was at her new office being trained. There was nothing to do. After much thought and idea finally came to her. She called Jeff.

"Yeah," he answered.  
"Hey, it's Ravyn," she stated. "Are you busy today?"  
Jeff sighed, "No. I'm bored out of my mind. Jenn is at work all day."  
"Shannon is too," she told him. "Do you think you could help me with something?"  
"Not like I have anything better to do," he laughed.  
"Just promise you'll keep it a secret," she demanded.  
Confused he replied, "I don't even know what it is yet!"  
"I'll be over in a few minutes," she said hanging up the phone.

*****

She pulled into the IMAGI-Nation's dirt driveway and found Jeff waiting for her on the porch. She directed him to the passenger seat and he got in, looking bewildered. She turned and started back up the driveway. He was even more perplexed when she turned down another dirt road on his family's property.

"Why are you taking me to the ring in the woods?" he asked.  
"I need a favor, Jeff," she said as she pulled up to the ring. "But it has to be a secret. From everyone!"  
Jeff nodded, "Yeah sure. But I need to know what this secret is if I'm going to keep it a secret."  
"Will you teach me to wrestle?" she asked bluntly.  
He was silent for a full minute, thinking about the question. "And you didn't ask Shannon... because?"  
"I want to surprise him," she admitted.  
Jeff took a deep breath, "And you're sure this is the way to do it? Can't you just... I don't know..."  
"Really, Jeff," she insisted. "This will blow his mind."  
Jeff left the obvious pun alone and got out of the car. "Come on then, Princess," he shook his head. "We've got a lot to cover."

She got out of the car, anxiously waiting for Jeff to drop knowledge. He taught her how to run the ropes, take a simple bump and do a few easy lockups. It was enough to keep her busy. She was enjoying every moment of being in the ring. She and Jeff worked on putting a sequence of very simple moves together. Jeff gave her an irish whip into the ropes and caught her with a clothesline. She fell flat onto the mat, and before she could get up Jeff had put her in an armbar. She yelled and kicked in pain. Jeff instantly let go and jumped to his feet as Ravyn rolled onto her stomach. She kicked the mat with her feet and kept her right hand clamped to her arm.

Jeff grew more and more concerned as she appeared to be crying, "Are you okay?" He was almost panicked.  
She kicked at the mat again and lifted her head to look at Jeff. She winked at him. "Gotcha!" she giggled as she raised her arm triumphantly above her head.  
Jeff couldn't even form complete sentences, "Seriously?" He was flabbergasted, "Did you really just swerve me like that?"

*****

The alarm went off at nine the next morning. Shannon slapped it and the noise ceased. He grumbled and pulled the covers up over his head. Ravyn, who had buried herself the second the alarm went off, looked over at him under the blanket cave.  
"We can pretend we didn't hear it," she suggested.  
He opened an eye and sighed, "But we open today. If Chad were opening, I would."  
"Want me to go start the shower?" she grinned.

He closed his eye and nodded. She swung her legs over the side of the bed and was shocked to be as stiff as she was. Her entire body ached. She dragged herself to the bathroom and turned the hot water on. She tried to stretch out, but she was just sore all over. A few minutes later Shannon appeared in the doorway.

*****

The Gas Chamber was quiet. Most of the days appointments were later in the afternoon. Ravyn was organizing the waiting room when the phone rang. She glanced around for Shannon, but he was nowhere in sight. She hobbled over to the phone and took the call.

"Gas Chamber," she answered.  
"Did you work too hard at the gym yesterday Country Mouse?" she looked over and saw Shannon's head pop up from his station, laughing into the phone.  
She hung up and shot him a glare. "I guess I over did it," she shrugged, leaning against the counter.  
"Aw, babe," he laughed. "You look so miserable right now."  
"I am," she pouted. "I feel like I'm a hundred years old."  
Shannon smiled at her, "Chad will be here in a bit. Why don't you go home and try to relax for a while?"  
She felt bad, "Are you sure? I don't want you to get stuck here all alone."  
"I'll be fine," he assured her. "Come back and pick me up around seven. We can hang out in the hot tub tonight."  
She finally gave in and took the keys to the Hummer. She kissed him and left the shop.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

She was halfway to the house when her phone buzzed. It was a text from Jeff. "RITW 3" She wanted to cry. Already she was sore, and he expected her to do it again. Another message appeared, "No excuses!" She had two hours to try and relax before she had to meet Jeff.

*****

Jeff was a little surprised to see Shannon's H2 drive up to the ring in the woods. He couldn't keep himself from laughing when he watched Ravyn drag herself out of the Hummer and gingerly roll into the ring.

"Not funny," she demanded.  
"Oh, but it is," he began laughing harder.  
She huffed, "Really, Hardy! I'm dying here!" This only caused him to snort with laugher. As if to prove just how hilarious he found her discomfort, he sank to the mat. Occasionally he pointed at her and tried to speak, but every time he opened his mouth only a new wave of giggles escaped. She leaned herself up against the turnbuckle and waited for him to try to regain his composure. When he was finally able to take more than three breaths in a row without laughing he sat up. "Are you finished, sir?" she said crossing her arms.  
He muffled another round of laughter with his hand and nodded his head. "Let's go back over what we learned yesterday," he suggested. "Then we'll try something new."  
They worked together going over everything he had taught her the day before. In a few hours she wasn't stiff anymore. Jeff taught her a few new things too. They discussed selling, working the left and the proper use of a submission hold. He worked with her putting a couple of moves together and they ran a mock match. Her favorite thing to do was throw her hand up with two fingers raised when Jeff's pin attempts failed. She had seen Shane do it at matches, and it always got a good reaction from the crowd. She got a pin and they called it a day.

"That was good," Jeff sounded surprised.  
She smiled, "Really?"  
"Yeah," he shook his head. "For this only being your second day. I'm honestly impressed."  
"Aw, thanks Jeffro!" she hugged him. "I really appreciate you taking the time to teach me. Shannon is going to be so surprised!"  
"It's no problem. Not like I have anything else to do right now. With Jenn being at work all the time," he admitted. "Speaking of Jenny... will you help me with something?"  
Ravyn nodded, "Of course!" He leaned down and whispered something in her ear. A smile lit up her face, "Definitely!"  
"But this is a secret too!" he insisted.  
"We'll keep each others' secrets," she smiled glancing at her watch. Ten of seven. "Shit.. Shannon. I've gotta run." Jeff waved her off and she ran to the Hummer.

*****

She sped into the parking lot of the strip mall at quarter after seven. Shannon was still in the shop talking to Chad, but when he saw her pull in he left. He climbed into the passenger seat and shut the door. When he looked over at Ravyn he was speechless. She was in gym clothes, covered in dirt and sweat, hair a mess and make-up smudged across her face.  
"I'm not even going to ask," he shook his head trying not to laugh. She popped down the overhead mirror and tried cleaning herself up a bit. Shannon just smirked at her, "Clearly, you're in need of another shower."  
She laughed nervously, "Jeff and I went to the gym."  
"You smell like it," he wrinkled his nose at her.

She drove them home and headed inside. It was almost like she was floating on air. The past two days had been so amazing. She couldn't wait to be able to show Shannon what she had been working on. She quickly took a shower and met Shannon out at the hot tub. He was immersed up to his chin, just relaxing. She stepped in and sat next to him. He sighed, exhausted from spending most of his day hunched over tattooing. She pulled him over to sit in front of her so she could rub his shoulders. As she worked her way down his neck and back he closed his eyes in ecstacy. When she finally finished she pulled him up against her so she could just sit and hug him.  
"Can we just go to sleep here?" he asked.  
She nodded, "Works for me. Moving isn't a high priority right now." He leaned his head back to put it on her shoulder. She kissed his cheek, "I love you, Country Mouse."  
"I love you too, City Mouse," he turned his head to hit her ear playfully.

*****

Shannon and Ravyn were at the gym early the next morning. Shannon had to leave for the shop after they got home. Ravyn would have gone with him but she had to work on a writing project. She kissed him goodbye and settled down beside the pool to work on her article. She worked quickly in the early afternoon sun. She wrapped up her writing, and was surprised to hear her phone buzz with a text from Jeff.

"Busy?"  
"Not really"  
"Mall?"  
"Sure, pick me up?"  
"Be there in 20"

She picked up her laptop and went inside to get dressed. Jeff was pulling into the driveway as she came out of the bedroom. She locked up the house and headed out to his car. She got in and they headed off to the mall in Raleigh. "So.. Why are we going to the mall?" she asked.  
"I need your help," he admitted. "You're Jenn's best friend. You'll know exactly what I should get."

She shrugged and relaxed on their ride to the mall. They made it almost halfway through the mall before Jeff's fans started following them around. Ravyn had grown accustomed to the dirty looks she received from the boys' female fans. Most of the ones today assumed that she was Jeff's girlfriend. Eventually they managed to shake their followers by ducking in and out of stores. Jeff took her a few places to ask her opinion on some things. But nothing was what they were really looking for. He promised that he would keep looking until he found something perfect.

As they were walking back towards the car Jeff asked, "So are you learning to wrestle for, like, a one time thing? Or are you going to try and keep doing it?"  
She took a moment to answer, "I want to be able to put on a good match. But really I just want to have fun with you guys at home. I might do an indy show here or there, but it's more for me than anything else."  
"Have you thought about a character at all?" he wondered.  
She shook her head, "Nah, haven't gotten that far yet."  
He smiled, " You should start working on that. And how you're going to show the Prince."  
"Oh," she smirked. "That much I've got covered. Make sure you bring your gear to New York."

He raised an eyebrow and just nodded his head. They had finished their mall trip nearly empty handed. Except for random bottles of hair dye.


	4. Chapter 4

Over the next two weeks Ravyn and Jeff spent every spare moment they could in the ring in the woods. They made sporadic trips to the mall, Home Depot, and Lowes. Jeff's secret project was turning out to be much more complicated than Ravyn's. While she seemed to learn more and more at every session, they just couldn't seem to figure out Jeff's plan. Finally Ravyn had an idea. As she explained it to him, his eyes lit up. They had just been trying way too hard. They wrapped up their session and drove to the craft store in town. Jeff had been coming here for years, so no one was shocked to see him stroll in. He knew were everything was so he was quickly back to the registers with arms full of nonsense. He was incredibly excited about his purchases. It was almost time to reveal his secret.  
They went back to Jeff's where he set to work in his studio. He wanted to complete his idea before Summer Slam, so they could enjoy the weekend. He figured that he could have it ready by the Thursday or Friday before they left. Ravyn sat in the studio with him, more for company than for help. When Jeff started being creative it was better to just let him do his own thing. They both jumped at the sound of tires pulling onto the gravel near the house. Ravyn looked at Jeff with wide eyes, it could only be Jenn. She quickly ran outside to distract her friend.

"Hey buddy," Ravyn called.  
Jenn looked surprised to see her, "Hey, what are you doing here? Where's your car?"  
Ravyn shrugged, "Oh, Jeff picked me up. We're working on a something."  
"Oh?" Jenn looked at her quizzically. "You guys sure have been spending an awful lot of time together."  
"Yeah it's been awesome!" Instantly she felt like an ass. Ravyn realized what Jenn was implying seconds before her friend said it.  
Jenn was clearly concerned, "I don't need to be worried about you two right?"  
Ravyn tried not to laugh, "Not at all. Jeff and I would kill each other." She knew the only way to completely set her mind at ease was to give up a secret. "Jeff has actually been helping me with a surprise for Shannon." Jenn raised an eyebrow. "He's been teaching me to wrestle for the past few weeks."  
"Really?" Jenn asked. When Ravyn nodded she let out a huge sigh of relief. "I was starting to get mad. I really thought there was something going on with you two. You've been inseparable lately."  
Ravyn grinned, knowing Jenn would keep her secret, "Yeah, you and Shannon have just been so busy lately. The road trip next week will more than make up for lost time though!"  
"You're really wrestling?" Jenn asked excitedly.  
A huge smile appeared on Ravyn's face, "Yeah, it's so much fun! I can't wait to show Shannon. You're the only other person that knows. It's going to be a complete surprise!"  
Jenn smiled at her, "He'll love it." The girls headed inside to hang out for a bit before Shannon came over for movie night.

Shannon pulled up a few hours later and saw the light on in Jeff's studio. Instead of just going inside he went over to see what Jeff was working on. He opened the door quietly, trying not to disturb Jeff. But the second the doorknob turned Jeff spun around on his heel. When he saw that it was only Shannon he was relieved.

"Shit," he let out a sigh. "I thought you were Jenn."  
Shannon glanced over at the table next to Jeff's project and smirked, "You too?"  
"It's about time I think," Jeff smiled. "Wait... me too?"

*****

"I just realized that we'll be in New York for your birthday's," Jenn said to Ravyn and Jeff.  
"Oh yeah!" Ravyn remembered. "I forgot your birthday was the day after mine, Nero."  
"You guys are the two days after Summer Slam," Jenn informed them.  
"Well, you can find me on the beach on Monday then!" Ravyn stated.  
Jeff shrugged, "I'll figure something out. Maybe come home and hang out."  
"Have we decided when we're leaving yet?" Shannon asked the group.  
Jeff explained, "Matt has a hotel booked for us Saturday through Monday nights. So whenever. We should probably leave Saturday morning."

Ravyn and Jenn looked at each other and shouted "Road Trip!" at the same time.

*****

Ravyn and Shannon tried to spend extra time together before the weekend came, but he kept getting busy at the shop. He would tell her that she didn't need to hang out only an hour after they got there every day. She thought nothing of it and kept going out to the ring in the woods with Jeff. He was having a hard time focusing though. He planned on revealing his project tonight, since they planned to leave for New York in the morning.

"Did you take care of the first part?" she asked him.  
"Yup," he smiled. "It will be delivered today."  
We'll be over after Shannon get's out of work," she told him. "Unless you don't want us to be here."  
He looked at her, confused, "You guys are my best friends. Why would I not want you here?"  
"Good! I was going to come anyways," she laughed. "I'm really excited about Sunday. Shane set aside some ring time for us. But I had to tell him the entire plan in order for him to even consider it."

Jeff was impressed, "That means your first match will be at Madison Square Garden, Princess."  
You're right," she swatted his arm. "Stop making me nervous, Hardy!"  
"You'll be fine." he promised. "We won't do anything you haven't already learned. We can work something up tomorrow night. It'll be awesome."

She smiled, really happy that Jeff had taken all of this time to teach her. Especially when he was busy with his own project too. She knew Sunday would be fine. For now, she just had to prepare for tonight.

*****

Shannon and Jeff were out on their dirt bikes when Jenn pulled into the driveway later that night. Ravyn stopped taking pictures of the boys goofing off on their bikes and walked over to meet her friend. Jenn stepped out of her car with a bouquet of pink lilies.  
"Those are so pretty!" Ravyn exclaimed. "Where did they come from?"  
"Someone," Jenn nodded towards Jeff. "Sent them to me at work. Isn't he sweet?" Ravyn smiled. "Look he even made me this!" Jenn held up a home made skeleton key with a heart shaped handle.  
Ravyn sighed at her friend, slightly jealous, "Aw! The key to his heart!"

"He's just the best," Jenn admitted.  
"Speaking Of the best," Ravyn started. "You have to see the new aluminummy he made. It's amazing!"  
Jenn loved Jeff's sculptures. He eyes lit up, "Where is it?"  
"Over by the volcano," Ravyn told her. "The boys have it all lit up tonight. They're out of control."

The girls, and their cameras, walked over the bike track to where Jeff's volcano was. The flames were shooting high into the darkening North Carolina sky. The guys were taking turns off a set of dirt ramps. They sped off around a bend as the girls appeared. Ravyn pointed to where a new aluminum sculpture was next to the bridge. It was clearly a self portrait that Jeff had spend a long time on. Jenn walked closer to get a better look at all of the details.  
She stepped around it a few times, truly amazed at how accurate it was. When she stopped and stood face to face with it she saw a keyhole in the center of it's chest. It can't be, she thought. She reached out to touch it. There really was a keyhole there! She pulled the key that Jeff had sent her from her pocket. In a state of amazement she raised the key and easily slid it into the keyhole. She turned it until she heard a click. The door that was his chest popped out slightly. She pulled it open the rest of the way and peered inside. The chamber was painted red, and sitting in the middle was a little black velvet box. With shaking hands she picked up the box and popped open the lid. Tears welled up in her eyes as she looked at the beautiful engagement ring in front of her. A large square cut diamond flanked by two rectangular pink opals. A tear rolled down her cheek.  
"Will you?" she heard Jeff ask behind her.  
She turned around to see him straddling his bike, standing next to Ravyn and Shannon. All she could do was nod a yes. Jeff let out an excited "Woooo!" and sped off on his bike. As everyone turned to watch him he flew through the wall of flames, over the volcano both hands in the air giving the guns.  
Ravyn looked at Jenn and shook her head, " Your boyfriend would jump a volcano on a dirt bike."  
"Fiancé," Jenn winked.


	5. Chapter 5

Ravyn drove the Hummer into Jeff's driveway early the next morning. Jeff and Jenn dragged themselves to the H2 clearly exhausted from the night before. Once everyone was settled in they started their ten hour drive to New York.  
Somewhere around Maryland Shannon took over the driving. Jeff, Jenn and Ravyn were starting to get a little stir crazy from sitting in the car for so long. Ravyn turned to look at Jeff from the passenger seat. She held up a mix cd and his eyes widened.

"You won't do it," he challenged her.  
She looked at Jenn who was grinning ear to ear, "Bet me, Hardy!"

She popped the cd into the player and shot a shifty eyed look at Shannon. He raised an eyebrow, clearly amused by the antics of his friends. The opening bars of Hulk Hogan's "Real American" theme song blasted from the speakers. Ravyn rolled the window down to allow for appropriate flexing room. Jeff did the same in the seat behind Shannon. They got more and more ridiculous as the cd continued to play excellent road trip music. As they started to quiet down Michael Jackson's "You are not Alone" came on. Then entire group belted the song out dramatically word for word. They were really into it. Turning to one another and singing like rock stars.  
They were almost to the city, so after Michael Jackson was finished Ravyn took over the driving. She guided the Hummer expertly through Manhattan. She got them to the hotel as quickly as possible in the city. She was extra careful not to block the box at crosswalks. They got their bags and handed the keys over to the valet. Ravyn patted the Hummer on the bumped affectionately before walking to the group.

"Did you really just pat the H2?" Shannon laughed.  
She smirked, "His name is Jesse. And yes, I did."  
"You're something," he kissed her forehead. "Let's go check in. Night Jesse."

*****

Ravyn was awake extra early the morning of Summer Slam. She was worried about her "match" with Jeff later. She was afraid to mess up in front of everyone else. She had spent enough time messing up in front of Jeff. He would just laugh and tell her to do it again, as he had many times already. This time she was worried about embarrassing herself, and Shane. He had insisted she tell him what her plans were when she asked for ring time. He had thought she was joking at first, but she had finally convinced him that she wasn't. She packed an extra pair of clothes in her gym bag and took a shower.

When she came back out Shannon was awake. "Can't sleep?" he asked her.  
"Just excited to be back in New York," she fibbed.  
"Shane called while you were in the shower," he told her. "He said to be at MSG by eleven."  
"Better wake up the affianced," she banged on the adjoining door and yelled. "Soon to be Hardyz! Get up! MSG by eleven!"  
As she turned to walk away from the door she heard Jeff yell, "I hate you!"  
She smirked to herself and climbed back into bed with Shannon. "He won't actually be up for another hour," she crawled into his lap and kissed him. "I'm sure we can figure out something to do until then."

*****

Matt's limo dropped them off outside Madison Square Garden where a line of fans was already stretching down 8th Avenue. Jeff got quite a reaction when the stepped out onto the street. He waved to the crowd and quickly walked inside. Matt and Shane were down by the ring watching a group of younger guys go over their match for the night. When Matt saw the ring on Jenn's finger he hugged his brother, thrilled to see that he had finally proposed. He knew it would happen eventually, he was just glad Jeff hadn't taken any longer. Ravyn went up and hugged her brother. Their relationship had changed for the better over the last year. Now they were close friends.  
Matt rolled into the ring when the group before finished. Shane followed him, warming up. Matt and Shane worked on a few holds, even though they weren't working with each other tonight. They grappled for a few minutes before Shane rolled out. He shot Jeff a look and rolled him in. He and Matt went at it for a few minutes. The rest of the group stood at the apron slapping the mat and cheering them on. Matt rolled out and went to throw Shane in. But Shane put up his hands and pointed to Ravyn instead.

"You really want me to beat up your sister, Shane?" Jeff laughed.  
"Nero, you wish you could beat me up," Ravyn stated  
Jeff stepped up to the ropes and looked down at her, "Then come prove it, Princess."

Shannon watched in amusement as Ravyn stepped into the ring with Jeff. Their size difference was far more apparent when they were in the ring. Jeff towered an entire foot over her, but she didn't look intimidated at all. She and Jeff had been working towards this for over a month. They circled each other a few times and finally tied up right in the center of the ring. Jeff took the advantage by kicking Ravyn in the ribs. She nearly doubled over, but he quickly shot her into the ropes. She ducked a clothesline and jumped onto the middle rope, spring boarding back at Jeff and taking him down with a cross body block. She hooked a leg and went for a quick pin, but he instantly kicked out. She stood up and dragged him to his feet by his hair. Before she could do anything he elbowed her in the gut. He gave her a quick snap suplex followed by a leg drop. He sloppily covered her as Shane slid in to be the referee. Shane counted very slowly, causing Jeff to get angry with him. He stood up and started arguing with Shane. Ravyn got on all fours behind Jeff. When Shane shoved him he went toppling over her.  
Matt got heated. He slid in the ring and started to fight with Shane too. He suffered the same fat as Jeff. Ravyn and Shane high fived each other. Matt and Jeff got back to their feet and stood face to face with Ravyn and Shane. The two teams locked up. Ravyn and Shane were met with boots to the ribs. Shane rolled to a corner while matt and Jeff threw Ravyn to the ropes. She ducked two clotheslines before Shane was able to trip up Matt. Punches were exchanged all over.  
Tags were made back and forth by each group. At one point Shannon rolled in to become the referee. Shane had Matt in a front headlock and walked him over to their corner to tag Ravyn. Shane suplexed Matt next to the ropes and Ravyn launched herself over them to land a somersault splash. She and Matt worked for a few minutes before she tagged Shane back in. Shane Irish whipped Matt into his own corner where Jeff tagged himself in. Shane ran at Matt, who moved, and was met with a turnbuckle to the chest. Matt dropped to all fours while Jeff ran across the ring and back to hit Shane with "Poetry in Motion."  
Jeff dominated Shane for a bit, but Helms fought back. Shane whipped Jeff into the ropes but didn't let go. He followed him in and delivered a knee to Jeff's midsection. Jeff doubled over. Shane tagged in his sister and repeated the knee to the ribs. Ravyn had climbed to the second turnbuckle. As Shane backed away she hit Jeff with Shannon's finisher the "Mooregasm." She quickly covered Jeff, hooking his leg. Shannon winked at her and made a very fast three count.

"Fast Count!" yelled Matt, who was only halfway in the ring by the time Shannon had made it to three. "Good match. That was fun."  
"Thanks Matt," Ravyn smiled, hugging Shannon. "Did I surprise you?"  
He smirked, "I kinda had a feeling you were wrestling. The rope bruises sort of gave it away." Her smile faded a bit. "But I was impressed by how good you are."  
She brightened up again and poked him in the chest, "You thought I was gonna suck."  
"You were much better than I expected," he admitted, kissing her.

The group walked to the back and took showers. Jeff was happy to see some of his old friends. All of them complimented their match and asked him when he would be returning. He shrugged them off and said he didn't know. Since it was only noon the group left MSG and went to hang out in the city so Matt and Shane would have time to prepare for their matches.


	6. Chapter 6

**This is chapter shows its age a bit. Coney Island has changed a lot since 2005 when this was written. The Freak Show has all new acts now, but these were the originals for me.**

Ravyn took them to some of her favorite places in the city. They did a little shopping, but ended up spending most of their time just relaxing in Central Park. They visited the zoo. Jeff told Ravyn all about the African raccoon he used to have living in his house. They explored the park, randomly stopping to take pictures and just enjoy the atmosphere. She took them to a bronze statue of Alice in Wonderland. This entertained them for a while as they took pictures of themselves goofing off on it. As the sound of rush hour traffic started to drown out the quiet of the park Ravyn lead the group back to the subway to head to the Garden.

*****

They watched the Pay-Per-View in the backstage area with Matt and Shane. The crowd was on fire tonight, popping for any big move. Even some of the heels were getting good reactions. A few more of Matt and Jeff's friends stopped by to say hi. Jeff and Shannon disappeared for a while to go and visit with people. The girls hung out with Matt and Shane watching the matches. When Shane got up to go out for his match they followed him to the Gorilla position. Jeff and Shannon met up with them just before the bell rang for Shane's match. Shane was working as the face so the crowd was really behind him. As the group was watching Vince McMahon came up to watch on the monitor alongside theirs. The match ended when another wrestler, uninvolved in Shane's program, came down and attacked Shane. Which resulted in Shane winning the match by disqualification. The group looked at each other with bewildered glares. Matt just shrugged .

"Well, that was fucking stupid," Ravyn said bluntly. "That didn't even make sense. Look at the crowd. They're just as confused as we are. What a shitty..." Shannon wrapped his arm around her, covering her mouth and shooting Vince a smile. She looked at him like he was nuts, but kept her mouth shut.  
Vince turned to look at the group, but chose not to acknowledge Ravyn's comments. "I saw you in the ring earlier, Jeffrey. You let me know what you're ready to come back. I'm sure we can work something out," he informed Jeff. Then he turned to Ravyn, "You weren't bad out there yourself."  
She nodded a thank you while Jeff told Vince he would be in touch. Shane walked back up the ramp and joined his friends. He was obviously frustrated with how his match had ended. But he kept it to himself in front of his boss. They all headed back to the locker room where they were going to watch Matt's match. Matt left almost as soon as they arrived. His match was a hardcore match so no one was allowed to be roaming around the backstage area where they might be fighting. The bell rang and their eyes were glued to the monitors. Matt and his opponent brawled all over the backstage set. The monitors where they had watched Shane's match became weapons, as heads were repeatedly bounced off of them. Matt threw the other guy off of a loading dock and through a table to get the win.  
When Matt returned to the locker room everyone congratulated him on his match. He was proud of his work and deserved the push he was getting. He hurried to take a shower so they could beat the crowd out of the arena. They managed to get into the limo just as the main event was starting. They dropped off their stuff at the hotel and went out with Matt and Shane to celebrate Ravyn and Jeff's birthdays.

*****

Only slightly hung over, Ravyn woke up the next morning to Shannon answering the door for room service. He tipped the delivery man and rolled the cart inside. Ravyn smiled at him, pushing the covers back.  
"Happy Birthday, Princess," he grinned at her. "Breakfast in bed?"  
She nodded, "Perfect."

They ate together before meeting up with the rest of the crew. Jenn and Jeff were ready first. Shane and Matt weren't too far behind. Ravyn guided everyone to the subway. It would only be forty-five minutes on the train to get to Coney island. The boys goofed off on the train until it became too crowded. The train pulled into Stillwell Avenue station and Ravyn stepped onto the platform smiling. She and Shannon held hands as they walked across Surf Avenue to get to the boardwalk. Jeff and Jenn's eyes lit up with excitement as they saw The Cyclone for the first time. The Cyclone is a wooden roller coaster that has been at Coney island for nearly eighty years. The Wonder Wheel was the next thing to command their attention. The giant ferris wheel with it's three different colors of cars loomed high above the boardwalk and midway. Some of the cars were stationary, while others moved around on tracks, making it like a roller coaster on a ferris wheel.  
It was almost noon when their feet first hit the sand. The beach was mostly empty, as Mondays tend to be. Only one or two lifeguards were on duty. Everyone decided that a ride on The Cyclone was the best way to start their adventure. They paid for tickets and walked through the winding line. Jenn and Jeff took the front with Matt and Shane behind them. Shannon and Ravyn took the third car. As the ride started they experienced true history. The Cyclone rattled and twisted around the rickety wooden frame. When they finally pulled to a stop back at the platform everyone was in a stunned shock. Jeff was the first to speak.

"I feel like I just cheated death," he stammered.  
"That was the most terrifying ride of my life," Matt concurred.  
"I felt like we were going to go flying off the tracks onto the beach " Shannon agreed.  
Ravyn just laughed, "Welcome to Coney Island."

They walked around the midway of Astroland Park just having fun. The groups split up, planning to meeting at the Freak Show around two. Ravyn and Shannon played some of the skill games on the midway, but soon lost interest. They walked out onto the beach, hand in hand. The cool water lapped at their feet as they walked down the shore.

"It's so good to be back here," she sighed. "I love North Carolina and all. But this place has so much history. I've spent almost every birthday here for the past six years."  
Shannon squeezed her hand, "We'll have to make sure to come up more often."  
"Only when we have the time. Or need to get away," she said as she sat down in the warm sand. "If you come too often it ruins the fun of New York. Besides I'm having a way better time with you than anything else."

He smiled and sat down next to her in the sand. She put her head on his shoulder as they looked out at the waves, enjoying their alone time on the trip. The waves crashed onto the rocks that separated the beach into sections. They had walked a good distance away from Astroland Park. The Cyclone was only a speck. They sat together a while longer before finally getting up to meet everyone else. They walked along the shoreline play fighting, trying to push each other in the water. He picked her up when she went to hug him. Her arms wrapped around his neck. He held her over the water and pretended like he was going to drop her. She kissed his lips and started laughing.

"You're getting far wetter than I am," she giggled, wrapping her legs around his waist.  
He looked down at the waves breaking just below his knees. He chuckled and gave up, stepping back towards the shore to put her down. They finished up their walk and found everyone waiting for them outside of "Sideshows by the Seashore." They paid for tickets and made their way to the set of bleachers inside. They sat only a few rows up to be closer to the show. They were lucky, they walked in at the beginning of the show. Donny Vomit introduced them to the world of the Coney Island Sideshow by nailing a spike into his nose. Elektra a.k.a. Serpentina demonstrated her passion for snakes and how electricity courses through her body. Insectevora ate fire, and showed off her bull-whipping abilities by popping balloons in various places around the stage. One of which was between a volunteer's legs. Heather Holiday was up next. A contortionist and also the United State's youngest sword swallower. When she asked for an assistant from the crowd everyone pushed Matt to the stage before he could protest.  
Heather explained how Matt would help her. She was going to swallow a two foot long sword to it's handle. Then she would bend over at the waist, pointing the handle to him. It was his job to, very carefully, pull the sword out as straight as he could. A terrified look crossed Matt's face. His friends started laughing, knowing that he was afraid of killing this little girls. He wasn't sure if she was being serious. But when she asked him if he was ready, he said yes. When the time came he pulled the sword from her throat with no bloodshed, much to the humor of his pals. The show started to repeat and the crew got up and left. They were buzzing about how cool the acts were. Everyone was impressed by the unique skills the "freaks" had.


	7. Chapter 7

They checked the time and saw that it was still early. Matt and Shane didn't need to be at the arena for Raw until six. Tonight's show would be at Madison Square Garden again. They walked around Coney for a little while before Jeff suggested that they go to Trash & Vaudeville. Everyone agreed that it was an excellent idea. Ravyn and Jeff desperately needed hair dye and everyone else could find something entertaining there. They got back on the subway and made a few connections. Finally they reached the Astor Place station and walked the few blocks over to Saint Mark's Place. The little street was lined with all sorts of alternative shops. Trash & Vaudeville were only two of the interesting places available. Shane insisted that they visit the little comic book shop, which paid off for him because he found a Green Lanterns statue he didn't already own.

"Looks like it's your lucky day," Ravyn laughed at the look of pure joy on her brother's face.  
"This is the most amazing statue in the world," He beamed. "Nothing can top this."  
Jenn started laughing, "It's not as awesome as when Ravyn told Vince how shitty his booking was last night."  
Shane's eyes nearly bugged out of his head. "You did what?"  
"It's true," Shannon chimed in. "But she was only saying what everyone else in the arena was thinking."  
"What?" Ravyn shrugged. "Your match was booked terribly. I was only stating facts."  
Matt chuckled, "The look on his face was priceless. Luckily Vince has no idea you two are related."  
"And he did compliment our match," Jeff added.

They browsed a vintage store called Search And Destroy before finally crossing the street to Trash & Vaudeville. They started downstairs at Trash. Ravyn bought a pair of high heels that had werewolves on them and a pair of Doc Marten boots. When everyone was done they ventured upstairs to Vaudeville. Matt scowled a bit at the giant poster of him, Jeff and his ex, Amy. He shook it off though and went on the hunt for ring gear. This soon got everyone trying things on. They all tried to find something more ridiculous than the person before them. Jeff had them all beat when he came out of the changing stall in skin tight hot pink leopard print pants, a blue fishnet shirt and a white top hat. They all burst into a fit of hysterics at the sight of him. He paraded around for a bit before changing back into his regular clothes. They all went back to browsing for themselves. Jeff handed Ravyn a few things and mumbled something about ring gear to her as he shoved her into a changing stall. She tried on what he gave her and looked in the mirror. It was totally her. A corset top and flared Tripp pants.

"Well, do we get to see?" Jenn insisted.  
Ravyn laughed, "Sorry, I was admiring me." She saw the tops of everyone's heads outside the doors before she stepped out. As she swung the door open she saw Shannon on one knee holding a black velvet box with a ring inside. She stepped back into the stall in shock. She sunk to the bench trying to catch her breath. "No fucking way," she gasped out loud. Everyone snickered at her reaction. She stood up and cracked the door open to poke her head out. Shannon was still there, on one knee, trying to keep a straight face. "Holy shit, you're serious!" she said happily. She stepped out of the room completely and walked up to him.  
"So, will you be my wife, City Mouse?" he asked her, smiling.  
She nodded eagerly, "Of course I will." She leaned down to kiss him as he slid the ring onto her finger.  
"Sorry I didn't build you a statue or jump over a volcano..." he joked. "I just thought there was no place better than New York."  
"No, this is perfect," she said wiping a tear from her eye.

He stood up to hug her and everyone congratulated them. They finished up at the shop, everyone leaving with something. After they got back to the subway they all split up to go their separate ways. Matt and Shane went to MSG. Jenn and Jeff went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art before catching a flight home. Ravyn and Shannon returned to their hotel room to celebrate.

*****

The next morning Ravyn awoke with Shannon's arms around her. Jenn and Jeff had decided to fly back to North Carolina the night before so Jeff could celebrate his birthday at home. She snuggled up against him and sighed. How could she be any luckier? She had an awesome brother who would do almost anything for her. She had best friends that made her life entertaining. And now she had the most wonderful fiancé that anyone could ask for. She sighed contentedly and let herself fall back asleep in his arms.

*****

Ravyn picked up her phone to text Jeff while Shannon took the first shift driving home. "Happy Birthday Hardy" she sent. The ride home was taking far longer than she wanted it to. "So how long have you been planning this?" she looked over at Shannon.  
"Well I knew I would marry you from the beginning," he winked at her. "But, as soon as Matt invited us to Summer Slam. Chad and I have been working on it at the shop."  
"Oh?" She giggled. "Is that why you kept kicking me out for the past month?"  
"You know it," he laughed. So, how soon do we start talking about wedding dates?"  
Ravyn smiled, "I would marry you today."  
Shannon beamed, "Well, I thought you would want to plan out something special. I didn't know if you had a date or anything in mind."  
"We can make any day be special," she admitted. "But I would like to plan something fun.."  
They drove for a few more hours before stopping to switch drivers. Ravyn pulled back onto the highway and turned the radio up. She and Shannon sang along to a few songs before they both turned to look at each other at the exact same moment.  
"Halloween!" they exclaimed.  
"It will be stellar," Shannon grinned.  
A smirk broke out on her face, "It will be absolutely ridiculous!"  
He reached over to put a hand on her leg, "It'll be perfect."

*****

Her phone rang just moments after Shannon pulled into the driveway. "Did you guys pick a date yet?" she asked her best friend.  
"Fourth of July!" Jenn squealed. "You guys?"  
Ravyn smiled at Shannon, "Halloween."  
Jenn was quiet for a moment, "This year of next?"  
"I..." Ravyn paused. "I didn't ask. Hang on." She put her hand over the phones mouthpiece and turned to Shannon. "This Halloween or next year?"  
He didn't even hesitate, "Fuck it. This. Why wait?"  
She let a squeal out and returned to her phone call, "This!"  
"That's so awesome!" Jenn said excitedly. "Wait, that means we only have two months to plan!"  
"Holy shit," Ravyn gasped. "You're right!"  
She could hear her friend laughing, "I'll be over in the morning. We'll start planning then."  
They said goodbye and hung up their phones. She looked over at Shannon, realizing this was the happiest she could ever be. "I love you so much, Country Mouse," she leaned over to kiss him. "I couldn't be any happier than I am with you."

The End

 **The sequel to this story is "Commitment" Coming soon. :)**


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